You Can't Kill a Rock
Prologue Many, many years ago, cats lived by the lake, ancient to the ancients. They are so old, time itself has forgotten about them. But one. He helped to form the ancient tribes, refining a naming system, creating order; before cats had merely lived in their families, fighting constantly. Then a curse was put over a cat, a curse to live forever. He is known as Rock. They say that cats fade from StarClan when there is no cat left to remember them. This is untrue. They fade when no cat remembers but him. Now we shall turn back time, and visit the past, long before any cat that we know about remembers, to the time when Rock was born, lived, was cursed. A time before Clans or Tribes. A time before StarClan. Chapter 1 "Mother, I am going out to catch some prey," A dark brown she cat looked around, worried, and nodded, watching fearfully as her only living son ventured out among the forest. ~♥~ Notes: The Territory ~ The whole lake was surrounded by forest in these times, and there were no set boundaries, nor any of the landmarks of the modern cats (ThunderClan's quarry camp, the old thunderpath, twolegpalce etc). Each family made a claim to a patch of land, but it was not set in stone. '' ''Families ~ Before the formation of the ancient Tribes, all cats lived in their families, changing their alligiances to become mates, etc. There was a lot of family tensions, and fights were common. Also, StarClan, or anything similar, did not exist ~♥~ Rock was a young, strong cat, and he quickly caught three plump mice. He headed off, back to where his mother and father and himself were living, a hollow thorn bush. Not paying attention, he smacked into the most feared tom around the lake, Boulder. Rock looked fearfully up at the large, grey tom. "Move on, youngling," he snarled. "You're only young, but if I catch you around my territory again it may just be scraps of your fur returning to your family. Now move it!" Rock dipped his head and stumbled backwards before running off. "Mother! Father!" Rock called, reaching their den, unscathed. "Ash? Owl?" he called, placing the mice down, and edging his way in uncertainly. "Rock!" His father called softly from behing the den; Rock sighed with relief. "Come look at this!" Rock, curious, found where his parents were, and found what they were looking at. The river had started to split into a fork, near where it started from the lake. "That'll be an island, one day, Rock. One day cats will live there, and there won't be any more of this fighting. I hope." The old, greying brown tom looked out, deep in thought. Rock went and sat by his mother. She never really spoke much, not since his two older brothers were killed in a pointless battle over a mouse, by Pine and his family. Pine was Rock's main rival. He was a mean cat, and the father of three toms. They were intent on trying to throw Rock's family out of where they lived.Fortunately, there had not been a big fight for a while now. The last big fight had ended in Rock's brother's deaths. Not a fight, a battle, thought Rock as he sat alongside his parents. He just hoped that Pine didn't launch another attack on them soon because he doubted that Poppy and her family would help this time. Rock had deep feelings for the firey ginger she-cat, and though she was named for a flower her fighting skill was anything but that. She was a formidable fighter, a warrior. But in the last battle, last time she had lost her sister, Night. Only her and her sister Blue were left. And though Rock loved them, they would probably watch him and his family die this time, rather than risk their own lives for him. The thought broke his heart. But if no-one helped them if they were attacked again, they would surely die. Rock could fight, but he was a better hunter. His father was old. His mother refused to move. They would be doomed, doomed to die. If only there was another way of living, one in which they weren't all condemned to fight and to die. A sudden yowl made Rock and his parent turn their heads quickly. "Owl! Come out here you filthy theif!" Pine's son, Crow, the largest but crudest of the three. Owl stood up, but Rock waved his tail in front of his father. "No, father. I'll go. Please, don't." Rock ran out of their den before his father or mother could stop him. He would not let them die today. "What do you want, Crow?" called Rock from just within the den. He could see the dark cats waiting, ominous shadows waiting to pounce. "We don't need you, Rock. We want to speak to your father." Hawk, the lightest pelted of them all, less of a shadow and more of a stain. Rock took a breath. "Why? I am sure he has done no wrong to you all." Rock knew this would not turn them away, and any hope he had held sank away at the opposing family's laughter. "You are funny, aren't you." Vulture, Pine's third son, smallest by far. "Your father is a theif, Rock. He steals from our prey pile. He is a weak, old cat! He can't even face us!" Rock's fur bristled. "How dare you insult my father! I can tell you he has done no wrong, and I swear-" "Enough, Rock." Rock stared in frozen horror as his father stepped out into the shadow cast by Pine's sons. "I will only speak to Pine." The three stepped aside and Pine stepped out. Pine was a large, arrogant cat. His amber eyes glowed from where they were deep set into his dark fur. He had only one ear, and his pelt was ruined with scars. He was frightening. Frighteningly strong and scarily arrogant. Overconfidence, Rock thought, will be his undoing. "I will only fight you, Owl. Fight me, and prove you are no coward. If you win, we won't bother you again. If you lose, well, you won't know another thing." The only sign of Owl's nervousness was a twich of his tail. "If it must be so, then I shall fight you alone." Owl crouched, and Pine lunged as they were thrust into a violent fight. "No!" screeched Rock, jumping into the clearing. "Help us!" Chapter 2 Pine and Owl were a blur of brown and dark fur. Rock watched in horror as his father seemed to get more and more tired against Pine's swift, huge paws. He felt so helpless, watching his father. "Mother, we must do something!" Rock cried out. Owl was still throwing a few blows at Pine but Rock knew that his father couldn't hold on for much longer. "There is nothing, now," Hor voice was barely a whisper. Rock looked at her in terror, "How can you say that? I cannot let father die. I will fight!" Ash's pale grey face lit up with fear and anger. "No, Rock. Your father is fighting for your safety-" Rock cut his mother off, "He will die!" A loud yowl rang the air. Rock stared in his father's direction. Owl had Pine pinned down. Hope bubbled in Rock's chest.Then there was a sudden blurr of movement and an ear splitting screech. Rock starred wide eyed at his father's dying body mattered with blood. His eyes were blank and blood flowed from many slashes on his neck and face. Rock breathed deeply but nothing stopped him from wanting to run away. "Ash, we must go," Rock mewed urgently glancing at Vulture, Hawk, and Pine's hostile faces. "Are you going to run, you cowards? Weak blood runs in your veins," Hawk spat. Rock tugged his mother's tail. "We have no choice," Rock hissed. His mother didn't respond but raced into the bushes. Rock followed. glaning back to see his father lifeless on the ground and Pine and his family standing over it. I will get revenge, Rock though grimly. Rock and his mother traveled through the forest. Rock's paws were sore and his mind bleak and tried by the time they reached the open forests where Blue and her family lived. "Rock? Ash?" Rock looked up to seem Blue standing on a rock over-hang. Her tone was not welcoming, though not hostile. Rock dipped his head politely. "Blue, we-Pine attacked us, again. He... He killed Owl," Rock paused trying to find his words, "Please, we only wish to stay a few days, then we will more on." Blue leaped down and stared hard at Rock, deep in thought. Rock held his breath. She had the decision of him and his mother's survival. Ash was getting old and frail, Rock feared she would not be able to travel without proper rest and food. Finally she nodded curtly, "I'm sure Poppy will allow it. We have prey to spare." Poppy looked up at him in surprise when Blue lead them to their home. Her expression was sour for a quick moment, Rock wasn't sure he saw if. "Ash, Rock, this is quite a surprise. I welcome you to our den," He voice was smooth and welcoming. Blue whispered something in her ear, perhaps explaining their journey. "Yes, Blue, of course we will let them stay. It has been so long since we had company." Ash nodded and dipped her head. She had still not spoken a word since Owl's gruesome death. Poppy lead them into the brambles. She showed them a clear patch in the leaves where they were welcome to sleep. Rock glanced around. Everything looked safe and he felt protected in the enclosed space. His mother lay down and rested while Rock went to speak with Blue about their staying arrangements. "Poppy, Blue?" Rock called thier name catiously. Poppy appeared almost imediantly. "Anything wrong, Rock?" She asked him. Rock stood their for a moment before replying, "No, I would just like to have a word with you." "Then," she mewed, flicking her tail with amusement, "Go ahead." "How long may we stay? Do you wish for me to hunt, now?" Rock asked, anxiously. She thought a moment. "Rock, your father just died. It is a very sad thing, but it happens, it happens to cats all around the lake. We must move on a survive," She paused staring at him with her wide amber eyes, "It doesn't mean you need to jump back into life right away. I am willing to let you stay for as long as you need to get back up. As for hunting, you should rest. Tomorrow you may go out looking for prey." Rock nodded, lost in her warm gaze. She flicked him lightly with her tail and turned to leave. "I will bring you some prey," She murmured and was gone. Rock sighed deeply and returned to his mother who was fast asleep. The anger that burned within Rock pleading for revenge was still there. He felt tired after his traveling and knew he was safe from the potential dangers, for now. He didn't want to look to the future where he would be forced to leave the lake, possibly forever. When Poppy returned, Rock's eyes were half-closed as he drifted off into sleep. "Here, for when you wake," She placed two squirrels beside him. Rock nodded, sleepily. Chapter 3 Category:Leopardclaw's Fan Fictions Category:Fanfiction Category:Littlewillow's Fanfic